Our Impact

Ten-year-old Salia lives at home with her sisters and her mom and dad—but it wasn’t always possible for them to be together. Both of Salia’s parents have struggled with addiction; she’s one of the 5.7 million U.S. children living in a household with a parent who has a substance abuse disorder. Now, to support children and families affected by parental addiction, Sesame Workshop has created freely available content and tools featuring Sesame favorites like Elmo and Abby Cadabby—and their friend Karli, a 6 ½-year-old Sesame Street Muppet whose mom is dealing with addiction. The resources, which are part of our Sesame Street in Communities program, deliver the words children need to hear most: You are not alone. You will be taken care of. Addiction is a sickness and, as with any sickness, people need help to get better. And most importantly: It’s not your fault. As for Salia, now that her parents are home and in recovery, she and her mom practice coping techniques like meditation—and Salia even teaches other kids similar skills that helped her manage big feelings.

Going through tough times is harder for families—but when they get to the end of it, they end up stronger. 

– Salia, age 10

Islam was born in Syria, but lives with her family in a refugee camp in Jordan. Around the world, more than 30 million children like Islam have had to leave their homes to flee conflict and persecution, and many have no access to quality education. That’s why we teamed up with the International Rescue Committee and BRAC in the Syrian response region and Bangladesh. Together, we’re bringing early education and play-based learning to refugees and children in host communities, reaching young children and families wherever they are: in their homes and communities, in preschools and health clinics, on their mobile phones and on television. Our programming will teach academic basics as well as the social-emotional skills children need to identify their feelings and begin to heal—and our characters will share powerful lessons in coping and resilience, helping millions of children like Islam overcome trauma and thrive.

I have the same hope as any mother. I want my kids to have a bright future. 

—A Syrian mother living with her children in the Zaatari refugee camp

Ysenia has autism. She’s the youngest of three girls who live with their parents in a bustling, happy home. Everyday routines can be challenging for someone with autism—but Ysenia and her family found tools and resources to help through our autism initiative, Sesame Street and Autism: See Amazing in All Children. At the center of the initiative is Julia, an adorable four-year-old girl character who is helping to show the world that every child is unique, and every child is amazing.

So, I’m amazing too, right? 

—A young girl with autism after her mother explained that, like the Sesame Street Muppet Julia, she too had autism